Roswell Judo Club Students

I don’t often write about my club. Usually I just write about things that have interested me or that I’m studying for judo or the Gracie program. Today, though, I’m going to write about my club.

Tonight’s practice had five of my club members practicing. I shot video, like I tend to do. But I watched it, which I’m not really in the habit of doing, and certainly not immediately. As I watched it dawned on me that I am really blessed to have such amazing students.

Five students isn’t a lot of students, but when Rolando and I were working on the Nage no Kata, which is atrocious, they all sat and watched intently. How often do you find four novices, I mean absolute beginners, willing to really sit and watch what one elite athlete said was, “boring as watching flies f***.” (Direct quote, and no, I won’t say who! But it was hilarious to hear that…)

After the brief attempt at kata, which while atrocious isn’t bad when one considers I haven’t practiced the full set since gaining Shodan in 2005 and having a partner who’s never done the full set, they all got back to work with zero grumbling and worked hard! We didn’t concentrate on anything competitive, just basic nage waza. They’re not perfect, but they keep working at them trying to make them better.

I just want to say this to the world and, most especially, my students: I have got some of the best students any instructor could ever ask for. These are the people for whom I do judo.